[Ingrid]

Hello,

talking about Dolores Hart I thought I´d post an article about her from 2005 I found here: http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight_rev_hart_hollywood.html

I was surprised that she still is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and votes for the Academy Awards every year !

Bye bye

Ingrid

----------

Twice Elvis co-star gave up Hollywood for her faith

Dolores Hart, who at age 24 startled the film world in 1962 by leaving a thriving screen career - including two roles opposite Elvis Presley - to become a nun, has returned to Hollywood for her first visit after 43 years in a monastery.

Now the Rev. Mother Dolores Hart and prioress of the cloistered community at Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut, she has been renewing friendships from her studio years.

Why? To spread awareness about a largely mysterious neurological disorder that afflicts countless Americans, including herself, called peripheral idiopathic neuropathy.


Last month, Hart testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, citing the need for research into a cause and cure for the painful and crippling disease.

Over a recent lunch at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Mother Dolores spoke of her ordeal with the disease. She also told of her long ambition to be an actress and what ended that phase of her life.

She seems in radiant health at 67, her cheeks smooth and rosy, her blue eyes clear. She wore traditional nun's attire, with a couple of additions: a green hand-knit sweater under the robe and a jaunty black beret.

In 1999, Hart underwent a root canal. The dentist suggested doing another root canal at the same time, and she agreed. Two days later, Hart awakened with searing pain.

"I couldn't eat," she recalled. "When I put my feet on the floor, I couldn't stand. My feet felt like they were on fire. I couldn't talk. I thought, 'This is ridiculous.' I couldn't understand what in the world was going on. A doctor said this would improve, but it kept getting worse."

For six months, she journeyed from doctor to doctor, yet none could figure out what was causing her pain. Finally, a New York specialist tried changing her medicine and she gradually was able to leave her wheelchair and resume a more normal life.

The luncheon conversation moved to her acting career, and she spoke fondly of that period in her life.

"From the age of 7, I never in my life wanted to be anything but an actress," Hart said. She was a strong-willed girl even at that age. When her parents divorced in Los Angeles and were constantly wrangling, she wrote a letter to her grandmother in Chicago asking to live with her. She was soon on a train to the Windy City - alone - a ticket pinned to her coat.

Hart's grandfather was a projectionist at a downtown movie palace and she often accompanied him to work. Her special job was to awaken him from naps every 12 minutes so he could change reels.

Years later, Hart was back in Los Angeles playing the lead in a school production of "Saint Joan" and an admirer asked where she had studied acting technique. She admitted that her only schooling came from analyzing actors' performances - without sound, no less - in the projection booth of a Chicago theater.

A friend notified the studios of a remarkable young actress in "Saint Joan," and Hal Wallis, an independent producer at Paramount, sent a scout to check her out. He ended up recommending Hart, and a film test and contract soon followed.

She made her screen debut as Elvis' love interest in 1957's "Loving You," his first starring role.

"I had no idea who Elvis Presley was," she admitted. "When I first met him, he was just a charming and very simple young boy with longer sideburns than most. He couldn't have been more gracious. He jumped to his feet and said, 'Good afternoon, Miss Dolores.' He and Gary Cooper were the only ones in Hollywood who called me that."

Hart made another film with Presley, "King Creole," and appeared in prestigious productions such as "Wild is the Wind," with Anna Magnani and Anthony Quinn, and "Lonelyhearts," with Montgomery Clift and Myrna Loy.


"I was never a star," she insisted. "Being a star means your name is above the title. Mine never was."

A clever talker, she was a regular on the talk-show circuit and was a fan-magazine favorite.

"I really loved the acting life," she said. But when she was appearing in the Western "The Plunderers" with Jeff Chandler in 1959, she looked in the mirror and heard a voice saying: "You're really enjoying this, but you're not going to do this much longer." She was puzzled but continued working.

After nine months in New York with the play "The Pleasure of His Company," she complained to a friend that she was weary. The friend recommended a retreat at a Connecticut monastery. Hart was hesitant but decided to go. She found a remarkable peace. She continued returning to the monastery twice a year.

Back in Hollywood, she became engaged to Los Angeles businessman Don Robinson. One night, she related, he asked her, "Do you love me?" She answered, "Yes, I love you." He asked her again. Same answer. "It doesn't sound right," he said. The engagement was canceled, and in December 1962, she flew to Connecticut, never to return - until now.

Mother Dolores is proud of one element of her Hollywood life: being invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is still a member and votes each year for the Academy Awards.

Does that mean she sees all the nominees, no matter how bawdy?

"Yes, I do," she replied with a smile. "If you're a Benedictine, as I am, you're supposed to be capable of integrating anything."

Source: San Jose Mercury News

[Golden Sky]

Thank you for this beautiful story, Wanda. I don't know how I missed it before.

Laurie, I was also deeply touched that Elvis was the only man who respected Dolores's religious beliefs. Of course, considering she's a nun, I take her at her word, that he was the ONLY one. Which makes it all the more touching.

Thanks also for the lovely picture, Ingrid. And I agree that the people who think Elvis was self-centered and so on really have no idea what they're talking about. He did care "too much," even to his own detriment.

[Golden Sky]

Ingrid you must've posted that just as I was writing my post here.

Thank you for the interesting article...I love the last line about "integrating anything." I just wish the article included the part about how Elvis encouraged her.

I hope she gets the research she's working for! And I wonder what the connection to the root canal was???

[MaryInTheMorning]

Sweet Ingrid thank you so much for posting the link and this very interesting article for us. It was so interesting reading about her recollections of her life. I, too, really hope she gets the research she's working so hard for!!

[Ingrid]

Trish I also love the "integrating anything" part, it´s a great approach to life in general.

I read in another thread that you´re going to be a mom, congratulations!!!



Love
Ingrid

[Golden Sky]

Thank you, Ingrid!



This little bitty one is my third boy. I'm looking forward to meeting him! My only daughter is named Ingrid, but I told you that already. I just think it's funny that you and she are the only Ingrids I know.

Love,
Trish

[Ingrid]

Oh Trish, I must have missed your post where you told me that, I´m sorry .

I have to say, when I was younger I wasn´t too thrilled about my name, because I was the only girl in my school except the principal´s secretary (!) who was named Ingrid, but now I really appreciate the name. I lived in Stockholm for a year after I graduated and up there in Scandinavia the name is a lot more common than in Germany, but still rare. And I love the way it´s pronounced in Swedish . That was my "turning point", in a way.

I can say the same thing as you, basically, because there is no one I know even only distantly with that name, but your daughter and myself .

Love
Ingrid

[Golden Sky]

Hi Ingrid,

Don't apologize! I couldn't even find the original message where I told you that before. It's such a big sea of topics here.

I thought there were plenty of Ingrids in Germany! I'm so surprised you don't know any. Okay, well, Ingrid, meet Ingrid...


I'm sorry I can't make the picture bigger, I have no talent with computers.

You make me want to travel to Scandinavia so I can hear their pronunciation. (Not that I need any extra excuses to want to go there!) We named our daughter Ingrid partly because I love the name, partly because my mother-in-law collected Scandinavian art, and partly because I watched Casablanca about 15 times while pregnant with my daughter. Fans of Ingrid Bergman always tell me they like my daughter's name.

Always nice talking with you!

Love,
Trish

[Ingrid]

Hi Trish,

I guess we´ve kidnapped this thread .

What a cute little girl you have! With that hair and the flowers and the landscape in the background and of course the name she looks like straight out of an Astrid Lindgren novel!! Very cute indeed. Please say hello to her, from one Ingrid to the other !

I think the name becomes more and more common the further north you go in Germany, and I live in the very South, where it´s indeed very rare. Plus, it´s actually a name you would find in older women, from about 50 and up. Oldfashioned names start to become really popular now, like Emma, Johanna, Erika... before only grandmothers had those names !

The Swedes pronounce it like that: it almost sounds like they put the stress on both syllables, very melodic. Then they don´t pronounce the g as much in the combination sound of ng. And they roll the r. Not as strongly as an Italian might roll it, but it´s the same "mechanism".

You really have to go and hear it for yourself I´m afraid ! It´s beautiful up there.

Have a lovely weekend with your family! Plus, right back at you, always nice to talk to you!

Ingrid

[MaryInTheMorning]

I don't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to say that your little Ingrid is so adorable and precious sweet Trish!!! Thank you so much for sharing her beautiful picture here with all of us!!

[Rainbow Light]

[MaryInTheMorning]

[Golden Sky]

Thank you, ladies! Everyone's welcome to "interrupt" especially when complimenting my daughter

Ingrid, is that what you look like? I'm so jealous! You're beautiful!

I spent a few minutes reading your post and earnestly trying to pronounce "Ingrid" the Scandinavian way, following your explicit directions. I have no idea if I'm doing it right, but I can imagine it sounds nice. My husband says IN-grid, and I say ING-rid. She responds to both And thank you, I'll tell her you said "Hi."

The landscape of the little picture I posted is the field of our summer property. Coincidentally, we bought the property from a German couple, Ursula and Andreas. Ursula was happily surprised our daughter is Ingrid, but when I told her I was going to name the child I was then pregnant with "Johannes," she said, "NO. You can NOT name him that."

I did anyway. I wanted to post a picture of him, too...I have no modesty in saying he is really cute. However, I'm really far behind in learning how to use a computer. It's a good thing or I'd be posting my whole family album.

Nice talking with you all!
Trish

[MaryInTheMorning]

You are most welcome dear Trish and it is always so nice talking with you too!!!

[Ingrid]

Dear Trish, please feel free to shamelessly spam us with pictures of your lovely family . My friend in New York who I don´t see that often unlike my friends who live nearby uses flickr for exactly that purpose , and she updates it quite frequently I have to say .

Hmmm, summer property... now I´m jealous ! Where is it?

Love
Ingrid